P. Johnson & Company Shona Johnson

Wow! It is hard to believe that I have been smithing for 37 years! A sideways move from agriculture in 1988 into blacksmithing has been an interesting journey, tough at times but most certainly rewarding. I have also been a member of BABA for all that time, extremely rewarding with a wealth of lifelong friendships made along the way. I trained under my father, the late Phil Johnson, at Ratho Byres Forge and continue to work there, running the family partnership with Pete Hill, where we employ four blacksmiths. We are very much a team, with Pete and I involved in the designing and all of us working together in the well equipped forge. We create both small scale and large scale works, from a tiny keyring right up to a sculptural entrance feature for a new building. We like to think that we are creating the jewellery for a building or a space, adding the wow! So whatever you are thinking about ….. give us a call! I am very lucky to have been invited to demonstrate and lead masterclasses in blacksmithing at forging events both in the UK, Europe, America and Australia which has fostered strong friendships with many smiths from around the globe, many of whom have visited Ratho Byres Forge to attend events, give demonstrations or lead masterclasses themselves. Pete and I have both been awarded silver medals for our work by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, a London craft guild, Proudly I am the first woman to have received this accolade, and we are also the first couple to do so. I have recently served on the BABA council as both Vice Chairwoman and then BABA Chairwoman, again as the first female BABA Chairwoman, a rewarding experience, again working as part of the BABA council team to create events for BABA members. I consider myself very lucky to have both a profession that I totally enjoy and have a massive BABA family of blacksmithing friends who I love meeting up with and spending time with, both forging at the anvil and chatting and laughing with around the kitchen table. Blacksmithing is very much my life and one which is very rewarding on so many levels.